What's on MY plate

Here I am, in the midst of party-prep (friends are coming for Christmas cocktails tonight at nine). I'll admit: I tend to get in over my head with the menu. (Maybe there's a little bit of Ruth in me: I was her assistant for two years.) Last year, I did a bunch of Caribbean recipes and it all turned out great—except for that batch of burned chickpeas.

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Of course, I could just serve chips and some carrot sticks and my guests would be perfectly happy (the key to a great party is an awesome guest list, and I definitely have that down), but after a few elaborate feasts, I've set the bar pretty high. Yesterday, my friend Summers e-mailed, "I'm looking forward to your cocktail party tomorrow…your spreads are always fabu." No pressure or anything.

So, I'm preparing batches of chocolate and cheese fondue. I'm making mulled wine on the stove. And I trekked through the post-snowstorm muck to pick up smoked salmon at Acme, a famous fish purveyor in Brooklyn.

What does the hostess eat before the guests arrive? Frozen pizza. I swear. Every time I'm having a party, I eat these—the dollar, generic kind, too. It's quick and filling and I can sneak in bites while I'm chopping fruit and poundcake.—Jennifer Conrad

What do you eat when you're preparing for company? Or do you even remember to eat in the frenzy?

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